Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images Back at E3 2017, I had a plan. The annual convention always had a wide range of game developers in attendance, offering reporters like me the opportunity to talk to prominent folks from all over the world. I decided it would be the ideal place to chat with Japanese creatives about the then-resurgent mood surrounding the country’s video game efforts. First on my list was Toshihiro Nagoshi, the infamously prickly creator of the Yakuza series. In an attempt to break the ice, I asked the stylish director where he bought his shoes. He replied, very simply — and in a very serious tone — “very expensive.” The only words of English he spoke during our entire conversation.Now that E3 is dead — for real this time — I can’t help but think back on... Continue reading…

Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge Sony is investigating claims by the Rhysida ransomware group that it stole sensitive data from Insomniac Games, including personal information for the voice actor who portrayed Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2. Australian outlet Cyber Daily reported today that the group had posted some of the data as proof of the hack and is currently auctioning the full set for around $2 million worth of bitcoin.Some of the data published by Rhysida reportedly includes details about Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine game, including a screenshot and some character art that Cyber Daily wrote “seems to relate to other Marvel characters” from the game. The outlet also says the data included scans of Insomniac employees’ passports, as well as one for Yuri... Continue reading…

Sleep is vital for health, but how can you tell you're getting high-quality rest? That's where sleep-tracking fitness trackers and smartwatches come in. Lots of devices claim they can do this, so to help you decide which one to buy, here are eight of our picks for the best fitness trackers for sleep.

Image: Fntastic The Day Before, an open-world zombie survival MMO, experienced a dramatic series of events resulting in its developer closing down four days after the game’s launch.After a much-hyped trailer launch back in 2021, The Day Before became one of Steam’s most wishlisted games and, after a couple of delays, it launched in early access on December 7th.After five years of blood, sweat, and tears, we can finally say these words: THE DAY BEFORE IS OUT NOW! https://t.co/q6BL7u9pzO#thedaybefore— Fntastic (@FntasticHQ) December 7, 2023Initial reviews were not great. Though billed as a survival MMO, players remarked that it was more like an extraction shooter but with mediocre loot. Players to team up with were sparse, enemies to shoot were... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Snapchat is getting even more generative AI features. The messaging app now lets Snapchat Plus subscribers create images based on a text prompt and send them to friends.Those who subscribe to Snapchat’s $3.99 plan can use the feature by tapping the “AI” button from the toolbar on the right side of the camera interface. This opens up a window where users can type a text prompt or choose from one of the premade options, like “a futuristic disco” or “a rocket preparing for liftoff.” Image: Snap From there, Snapchat’s AI will spit out an image based on the prompt, allowing users to edit it and add a message before sending it off to friends and family on the app. Snapchat is rolling out some other AI-powered perks for... Continue reading…

NZXT released new all-in-one Kraken liquid CPU coolers, and in this review, we're looking at the NZXT Kraken 240. This is a mid-range cooler with ample thermal capacity with a 240mm radiator and the latest generation Asetek pump. NZXT markets this cooler as the best solution for an entry or mid-level processor such as an Intel Core i7-13700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700. The NZXT Kraken 240 doesn't have any RGB lighting, but there is a CPU block LCD panel for displaying temperatures and other content.

Image: The Verge This is Hot Pod, The Verge’s newsletter about podcasting and the audio industry. Sign up here for more.We’ve got a bunch of news in podcast world, but first, an announcement: Hot Pod Summit is BACK, baby! We have some really great stuff cooking that I can’t wait to share. Hot Pod Summit is back!I’m excited to announce that Hot Pod Summit is returning to Brooklyn on February 28th, 2024, as part of On Air Fest for a day of in-depth talks, intimate conversations, and industry networking. The invite-only summit is our way of kicking off the year in podcasting and talking about what’s on everyone’s minds — I’m eager to see you all, catch up, and hear what everyone’s thinking.We’ll have more to share about programming in the new year. For... Continue reading…

This isn't an article about abandoning your mouse. (We use mice daily as writers, and they’re indispensable.) But there might be times when you discover that your mouse has died, or maybe you forgot your mouse at home. This issue also applies to laptops, as well, because what do you do if your touchpad suddenly stops working?

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 11: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (C), President of the COP28 UNFCCC Climate Conference, emerges from negotiations over the wording of the Presidential draft on day eleven of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference. | Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images What would have been a historic deal to tackle a planetary crisis slipped out of reach at the eleventh hour. Even so, climate-vulnerable countries and environmental advocates scored some key wins with clean energy after heated climate negotiations wrapped up in the United Arab Emirates, a top oil- and gas-producing country.This was the closest yet that countries have gotten to striking a global deal to phase out the use of coal, oil, and gas. But the summit was arguably still a home game for fossil fuel interests who threw their weight around the United Nations climate conference, called the 28th Conference of the Parties or COP28, where tens of thousands of delegates and activists from nearly every nation on Earth have gathered over... Continue reading…

Details about Marvel’s forthcoming Black Panther spinoff series have been sparse since the studio first announced it a couple years back. But ahead of What If …?’s season 2 premiere on Disney Plus, the streamer’s just shared a few promising details about what to expect from The Eyes of Wakanda.Along with reminders about the impending arrivals of X-Men ‘97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (formerly titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year), and new details about What If … season 2, Disney Plus announced today that its upcoming Black Panther spinoff series is titled The Eyes of Wakanda. Rather than focusing on a singular Black Panther, The Eyes of Wakanda will tell the stories of multiple warriors who “have been tasked to travel the... Continue reading…

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The FCC announced today that it won’t award Elon Musk’s Starlink an $886 million subsidy from the Universal Service Fund for expanding broadband service in rural areas. The money would have come from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program (RDOF), but the FCC writes that Starlink wasn’t able to “demonstrate that it could deliver the promised service” and that giving the subsidy to it wouldn’t be “the best use of limited Universal Service Fund dollars.”That was the same reason the FCC gave when it rejected Starlink’s bid last year, which led to this appeal. SpaceX had previously won the bidding to roll out 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload “low-latency internet to 642,925 locations in 35 states,” funded by the RDOF.“The FCC is... Continue reading…

If you're looking for a giant ultrawide monitor that's great for gaming, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is going to be your best option. This massive gaming monitor comes in at 57 inches and offers impressive specifications all around. While it made its retail debut at $2499.99, it's now being discounted by $500, dropping the price to $1999.99 just in time for the holidays.